There are a number of production machines presently utilized in the shrimp processing industry which serve to process shrimp. In a production operation, as contrasted to a hand operation where a shrimp is cleaned, cut and peeled by hand, shrimp normally are transported to various stations where they are cleaned, cut and the shell and sand vein removed. The processing equipment includes means for adjusting a particular operation such as adjusting the cutting blade depth which controls the depth of cut that is made in a shrimp along its longitudinal axis. Equipment employed in shrimp processing operations are illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,784,450; 2,850,761; 3,122,777; 3,159,871; 3,566,437 and 3,751,766.
While the equipment available to process shrimp on a production basis has been highly satisfactory, it has been found that a problem sometimes exists in that the shrimp being processed are not oriented properly relative to a shrimp cutting station where the shrimp shell and meat normally are cut by a rotating cutting blade and the vein of the shrimp is exposed for subsequent removal in the processing operation. It is imperative in substantially all shrimp processing operations that a shrimp be properly oriented relative to the cutting blade in order that the shrimp be cut substantially along its length to expose the sand vein. Failure to expose the shrimp vein creates a number of problems. Initially, if a shrimp is cut and the vein is not exposed, the vein cannot be removed subsequent processing operations. If the vein is not removed, the overall quality and value of the shrimp product is reduced substantially. Similarly, should the vein be removed by way of an additional hand or machine cutting operation which further cuts the shrimp to expose the vein, the overall shrimp processing costs are increased and often the shrimp's market value is decreased due to the additional cut made to expose the vein. The net effect is that the inability to cut a shrimp to achieve vein exposure often serves as the cause for removing a processed shrimp from a "premium" type category to one of reduced quality and value.
What is desired is a guide and cutting assembly for use with shrimp processing equipment which serves to orient and guide a shrimp through a shrimp cutting station so that a shrimp can be cut at the desired depth along its length and the shrimp vein exposed. While guide systems are available for guiding shrimp as it is transported through a cutting station, it has been found that the guide systems sometimes fail to provide consistent positioning of the shrimp relative to the cutting blade such that the shrimp vein is not exposed for removal. It also has been found that guide systems presently available will, over a period of time, sometimes fail to orient and maintain the shrimp in proper position as the shrimp is transported through the cutting station due to the guide system components becoming loose or bent. Accordingly, what is also desired is a guide and cutting assembly which will serve to properly orient and maintain the shrimp in proper position during the cutting operation over an extended period of time so that the desired depth of cut can be made along the longitudinal axis of the shrimp to at least expose the shrimp vein.